The NetApp data broker software syncs data from a source to a target (this is called a sync relationship). You can run the data broker in AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform, or on your premises. Cloud Sync guides you through the installation process when you create a sync relationship.

If you want to sync NFS data from an ONTAP system, you must ensure that access to the NFS export list for an SVM is enabled (vserver nfs modify -vserver svm_name -showmount enabled).

The default setting for showmount is enabled starting with ONTAP 9.2.

Requirements for Azure Blob storage

When creating a sync relationship between an Azure Blob container and an NFS or CIFS server, you need to provide Cloud Sync with the storage account connection string:

If you want to sync data between two Azure Blob containers, then the connection string must include a shared access signature (SAS). You also have the option to use a SAS when syncing between a Blob container and an NFS or CIFS server.

The SAS must allow access to the Blob service and all resource types (Service, Container, and Object). The SAS must also include the following permissions:

For the source Blob container: Read and List

For the target Blob container: Read, Write, List, Add, and Create

Requirements for Google Cloud Storage

When setting up a relationship, you need to provide a project ID, client email, and private key for a Cloud Storage service account.

Ensure that the following permissions are in place for your user account, as well as the service account that you use to create the data broker: Compute Admin, Deployment Manager Editor, and Service Account User.

Permissions required to prepare an existing Linux host for AWS access

When you install the data broker on an existing Linux host, the instructions included in the Cloud Sync interface prompt you to create an AWS user that has programmatic access and the permissions included in the NetApp-provided policy. Watch the installation video for more details.

Linux host requirements

If you install Cloud Manager on your own host, then you must verify support for your configuration.

Operating system: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 or CentOS 7 or Fedora

The command yum update all must be run on the host before you install the data broker.

A Red Hat Enterprise Linux system must be registered with Red Hat Subscription Management. If it is not registered, the system cannot access repositories to update required 3rd party software during installation.

RAM: 16 GB

CPU: 4 cores

Free disk space: 10 GB

Creating your first sync relationship

When you create a sync relationship, the Cloud Sync service copies files from the source to the target. After the initial copy, the service syncs any changed data every 24 hours.

After you log in, review details about using the service after the free trial ends, and then click OK.

On the Select Source & Target page, choose a source and target.

The following steps provide an example of how to create a sync relationship from an NFS server to an S3 bucket.

Review the details about how the service works and then click Continue.

On the NFS Server page, enter the IP address or fully qualified domain name of the NFS server that you want to sync to AWS.

On the Data Broker page, follow the prompts to create a data broker virtual machine in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud Platform, or to install the data broker software an existing Linux host.

If you choose AWS, the AWS CloudFormation Console loads in a separate browser tab. The Cloud Sync service uses a CloudFormation template to quickly provision the data broker instance. The Cloud Sync service does not have access to your AWS credentials because you are logging in directly to AWS.

AWS example

The following video shows how to launch the data broker instance in AWS:

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The instance takes approximately 5 to 10 minutes to deploy. You can monitor the progress from the AWS CloudFormation console, or you can return to the Cloud Sync service website, which automatically refreshes when the instance is available.

Existing host example

The following video shows how to install the data broker software on an on-premises Linux host, or on an existing Linux host in the cloud:

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If you install the software using AWS keys, the keys are stored on the data broker. NetApp does not use the keys outside of the data broker.

After you install the data broker, click Continue.

The following image shows a successfully deployed instance in AWS:

On the Directories page, optionally filter source objects and then select a top-level directory or subdirectory.

Filtering source objects enables you to define how source files and folders are synced and maintained in the target location. For example, you can choose to never delete files from the target location, even if they were deleted from the source, which is useful for archiving.

If you want to sync more than one directory on the NFS server, then you must create additional sync relationships after you are done.

The following video shows how to filter source objects and select a directory:

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On the S3 Bucket page, choose the target location:

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On the Relationship Tags page, enter up to 9 relationship tags and then click Continue.

The Cloud Sync service assigns the tags to each object that it syncs to the S3 bucket.

Review the details of the sync relationship and then click Create Relationship.

After the Cloud Sync service successfully creates the relationship, click View in Dashboard to view details about the data sync relationship.

Result

Congratulations, you have created your first sync relationship.

Paying for sync relationships after your free trial ends

There are two ways to pay for sync relationships after your 14-day free trial ends. The first option is to pay-as-you-go. The second option is to purchase licenses directly from NetApp.

The other option is to pay for your sync relationships up front by purchasing licenses. Each license enables you to create up to 20 sync relationships. After you purchase a license, you must add it to Cloud Sync. For further details about licenses, see How Cloud Sync licenses work.

You can use both options together. For example, if you have 25 sync relationships, you can pay for the first 20 sync relationships using a license and then pay-as-you-go with the remaining 5 sync relationships.

What if I don’t immediately pay after my free trial ends?

You won’t be able to create any additional relationships. Existing relationships are not deleted, but you cannot make any changes to them until you subscribe or enter a license.

Subscribing to the Cloud Sync service from the AWS Marketplace

You can subscribe to the Cloud Sync service from the AWS Marketplace to pay for sync relationships at an hourly rate.